Ride Report: Michaelchurch: Testing the Waters Before Red Dragon

As I’m sure you know by now, my big aim this season is to take Chip to Red Dragon at the end of September. It’s one of the UK’s most iconic endurance rides, set in the Welsh hills, and it’s got a reputation for being both stunning and seriously tough. The kind of ride that will either give you the best memories of your season or completely humble you.

Living just north of Milton Keynes, my daily reality couldn’t be further removed from those Welsh mountains. My training options are flat grassy headlands, a few purpose-built woodchip tracks, and that’s about it. No long climbs, no moorland, no technical descents. Nothing that prepares you for Red Dragon terrain.

So after completing the 64km CER at Avon Valley last month, I knew I had the slow conditioning miles in the tank — but the hills? We desperately needed them. I managed a few trips out for hill sessions, but the big focus was on Michaelchurch, a September Endurance GB ride in the Black Mountains. Three weeks before Red Dragon. Perfect timing.

The Journey West

On the map, Michaelchurch didn’t look far. But as anyone who has ever tried to travel east-to-west in the UK knows, it’s never straightforward. What looked like a reasonable hop turned into a 4-hour drive.

Shez (my best friend and crew extraordinaire) came with me, and we arrived in good time on the Saturday. Chip settled quickly into his corral, delighted by the abundant mountain of grass.

It was the first time this year I’d slept in my trailer living area, and with a mild evening, it was actually really pleasant. A little reminder that endurance weekends aren’t just about the riding — they’re about the atmosphere, the friendship, and the small adventures that happen in between.

Pro tip, though: always read the ride information pack properly. I’d missed the detail that there was no water on site. After filling Chip’s buckets, we realised we had no way of refilling our containers. Thankfully the recommended local pub was also a campsite, so we managed not only a really nice dinner but also the chance to top up our water. Crisis averted.

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Rain, Rain, and More Rain

Of course, the weather forecast shifted overnight. Saturday had been mild and sunny, but Sunday promised heavy rain.

Now, Chip and I aren’t rain lovers. I actually very rarely ride in the rain if I can help it – I always feel there’s another day/time to train and it’s rare that you absolutely have to do it. Afterall, riding and training should be about having fun. But Red Dragon is in Wales. In September. The odds of rain are high. So in a way, it felt like a blessing in disguise. A dress rehearsal for the worst-case scenario.

All this said, remember my strong aversion to having wet feet, I hadn’t packed my waterproof riding trainers which was particularly frustrating.

As it was raining so much and the grass coverage was fair I had vetted and tacked up in yard boots and ended up walked down to the start line to actually get on before realising that I didn’t have my trainers to actually ride in.

I’ll never know if this did or didn’t work in my favour. I had vetted early to try to start with the 64km riders and get done as soon as possible to start our long 4hr drive home. They were all starting when I realised my footwear fail and by the time we had rectified the issue they were all gone and on the route so we started alone.

At the time I was annoyed, but actually I think it turned out to be a silver lining. Chip and I started alone, no temptation for him to get race-brained and chase. We could find our rhythm and focus on the ground.

Into the Hills

The first 10km lulled me into a false sense of security. Some roadwork, some forest tracks, a few big climbs, but nothing unmanageable. The rain was steady but bearable, and both Chip and I felt warm and forward.

Then came the moorland.

I had heard that sheep-grazed moorland tracks can be slippery but I think it is one of those things that you have to experience yourself to actually believe.

I don’t think I have ever felt so unsafe on Chip before as he has never in his 10 year long endurance career slipped or tripped. To say that he went down not once but twice was extraordinarily scary. Both times he lost all four legs on the camber and my left foot hit the ground. Somehow both times he scrambled back up before I could even dismount properly and both times I managed to not get injured and he also seemed to be okay but I was petrified.

My significant lack of moorland riding experience combined with the relentless rain made me feel very out of my depth.

Hoof Boot Drama

My mind went into problem-solving mode. We were slipping in his hoof boots. He’s been barefoot for years but always wears boots to train and compete. I hadn’t ridden him without them at all in over two years, but I figured it was worth the risk.

Dismounting on that surface was like stepping into a cartoon — my legs running on the spot, slipping everywhere. Somehow, I managed to get all four boots off, though it took an age with cold, numb fingers and a horse who was desperate to keep moving.

Once back on, the difference was immediate. Better traction, more security. Still slippery, but manageable.

This section seemed to go on forever and it was so especially undulating with every changing footing that our pace was slow and I felt myself and Chip start to feel incredibly cold and isolated.

Eventually we made it to the crew point but we still didn’t slosh as we were all so cold. I took my hoof boots off my breastplate (where we had been carrying them for around 15km) but my hands were so cold and my fingers numb it was such a challenge to get the grip to do it!

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Lost in the Clouds

I thought we were over the worst but the next section of the ride presented new challenges as we were faced with heavy clouds – and we were riding in them.

. Visibility became so poor that I got lost no less than three times as I simply couldn’t see the track in front of me or the markers.

Thank goodness for the OS Map app as it works on satellite you can always see where you and which direction you are travelling in. I really had to fight back the tears as being lost on a mountain, in a cloud on a grey horse is quite scary. Thank goodness Chip never wavers and just keeps moving.

Running for Home

As we finally started to descend, the rain continued, but at least I could see again. We hit a stony track and I realised I was very tight on time after getting lost and wasting a lot of time trying to get the hoof boots off so I got off and ran with Chip.

Amazingly he coped so well without his hoof boots on the stone section. We reached the last crew point and I had pretty much given up hope but Shez encouraged me to ride in as quickly as possible as she felt I had overestimated the final kms and the venue was closer than I thought.

Chippy responded and we climbed the last few slippery hills and made it onto the final road stretch. As we came into the venue I thought we were out of time.

Vetting Relief

Either way we had already decided to vet immediately as we didn’t want the cold or the effects of falling to creep in so I once again was off and running with Chip across the venue field to our crew car. We didn’t slosh as it was still raining. Simply took his tack off, gave him a drink and went to vetting.

It felt wild to vet him without hoof boots. Not because the trot up was hard or stony (it was lovely forgiving grass) but because Chip moves so much straighter behind when he has his boots on.

Nonetheless the vet was happy and I was very happy with his movement too actually. Couldn’t fault him definitely an A. HR59 and 1s for everything else.

We then went to the coral to give him his post-ride feed buffet, to wash him off properly and rug him up. So many little cuts and scrapes all over his legs but he seemed happy in himself.

I have never been so grateful for my trailer living area and I put the kettle on whilst I peeled my soaking wet clothes off my body.

A hot cup of tea and a flatbread made me feel altogether much more human.

The Unexpected Pass

I’d written us off as over time. But thanks to a gate allowance and the route measuring longer than expected, we scraped through at 10.4kmph. We’d passed.

Honestly, it transformed the experience for me. What had felt like a miserable ordeal suddenly became a gritty win. Chip had carried me safely through conditions we had no business being in.

However, I know that Red Dragon could provide similar conditions but now I actually know how I’m going to feel about it. Perhaps I am simply not cut out for these types of rides. Travelling 8hrs, staying away overnight and facing so many challenges just for a 32km didn’t really feel like a pay off.

Physio follow up

Before we had even left the Michealchurch venue I sent an SOS message to our wonderful physio to try to get an emergency appointment for Chip this week. Siobhan came out on Tuesday.

Chip was happily sound on the straight but stiff on the tight circles. Sore throughout his right hip, glute and adducter (to be expected given the falls), left loin and a little in his neck/peck. All as you would expect given all the slipping. Chip accepted the treatment really well and looked visibly plumped out and freer moving after.

We’ve agreed that getting the osteo to see him would be a good idea so I’ll see if I can get an appointment at such short notice. Either way, Siobhan is going to treat him again the Monday before RD (the plan is for us to travel there on Thursday).

Reflections

Still, it left me questioning Red Dragon. If it’s dry, I feel confident we can tackle it in boots. Afterall, we did achieve nearly 900m of climbing! But if it rains? I don’t know. Riding barefoot over 65km I don't think is an option for us. Downgrading to a shorter GER might be the only sensible choice. But it's an awfully long way to go for that...

The AirBnB is also a big cost which I could get a refund on if I cancel before the 20^th September so I’m really hoping my osteo can see him before then to add some clarity in either direction.

Gratitude

Endurance can be brutal, but it’s never a solo effort. Huge thanks to Shez for crewing in grim conditions and keeping me sane. To the organisers and volunteers at Michaelchurch — thank you. Without you, we don’t get to test ourselves like this.

And to Chip, my greatest teammate. Ten seasons in, he still gives me everything, even when the odds are stacked against us.

What’s Next?

Now we play the waiting game with the weather. Dry or wet could completely change our Red Dragon. But whatever happens, Michaelchurch gave me lessons and memories to last a lifetime.

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